i just ordered a manual 128i with no options at all other than the m package in white. the residual value makes this car stupid cheap as a lease- and i'm of the opionon that bmw's 6 is probably one of the best engines ever made and in this car it is at its most evolved state.

my dealer was shocked that anyone wouldn't want a sun roof, or heated seats or a color that cost more money etc. etc. hell, if i could i would have gotten roll up windows and no sound proofing and an a/c delete!

Right on.

Like you, I bought my car in its purest available state: Devoid of options aside from the sports package.

The 135 was never on my list, nor were any other turbocharged cars. None of the domestics appealed to me. Not buying a Genesis (Just out prejudice. Never even test drove. I just associate Hyundai with Rodney King much as I associate Dodge with Al Bundy.) Infiniti just seemed like they were trying to be BMW/Mercedes. I had a 510 not a 240Z, so the 128I seemed a more natural pick to me than the 370Z. I'm more of an upright coupe kinda guy, which also ruled out the Cayman and FR-S/BRZ (plus the Scion and Subaru dealers pissed me off). No Miata or Boxster as I'm restoring a 64 Austin Healey 3000 and don't need another convertible. There're already too many 3 series on the road (though not so much the coupe).

I have an M-Sport Le Mans Blue, 6MT aboard the Gentle Leader about half way across the Atlantic. Only options were heated Oyster Boston leather seats. Would have liked xenons, but didn't want the adaptive light control or the Premium Package at all.

The 135 was never on my list, nor were any other turbocharged cars. None of the domestics appealed to me. Not buying a Genesis (Just out prejudice. Never even test drove. I just associate Hyundai with Rodney King much as I associate Dodge with Al Bundy.) Infiniti just seemed like they were trying to be BMW/Mercedes. I had a 510 not a 240Z, so the 128I seemed a more natural pick to me than the 370Z. I'm more of an upright coupe kinda guy, which also ruled out the Cayman and FR-S/BRZ (plus the Scion and Subaru dealers pissed me off). No Miata or Boxster as I'm restoring a 64 Austin Healey 3000 and don't need another convertible. There're already too many 3 series on the road (though not so much the coupe).

I have an M-Sport Le Mans Blue, 6MT aboard the Gentle Leader about half way across the Atlantic. Only options were heated Oyster Boston leather seats. Would have liked xenons, but didn't want the adaptive light control or the Premium Package at all.

The 135 was never on my list, nor were any other turbocharged cars. None of the domestics appealed to me. Not buying a Genesis (Just out prejudice. Never even test drove. I just associate Hyundai with Rodney King much as I associate Dodge with Al Bundy.) Infiniti just seemed like they were trying to be BMW/Mercedes. I had a 510 not a 240Z, so the 128I seemed a more natural pick to me than the 370Z. I'm more of an upright coupe kinda guy, which also ruled out the Cayman and FR-S/BRZ (plus the Scion and Subaru dealers pissed me off). No Miata or Boxster as I'm restoring a 64 Austin Healey 3000 and don't need another convertible. There're already too many 3 series on the road (though not so much the coupe).

I have an M-Sport Le Mans Blue, 6MT aboard the Gentle Leader about half way across the Atlantic. Only options were heated Oyster Boston leather seats. Would have liked xenons, but didn't want the adaptive light control or the Premium Package at all.

It's just a great car to drive and I think it looks gorgeous.

Depo's are always an option over the ugly(imho) halogens. Mine 128 has no options except heated seats as well, though the PO put 264 style rims on it thankfully. And i added msport suspension because the stock non sport suspension is just too mushy even for day to day.

Money was a big factor. But the following also helped with the decision...
Felt it had a better clutch and shifter.
Felt lighter.
I wanted sports suspension and seats but hated the size of the M-sport steering wheel (seriously).

At the time you could option around the last point (sport seats was an option and I believe non-m sport suspension was standard) but finding a manual, used 135i CPO car that matched this profile in Toronto around 2009 was impossible. There was an SGM 128i though and the rest is history...

I went looking at a 328 - trading in my leaky falling apart Z3 - they had a 1-series which I didn't even know existed and I bought it. Best car ever owned. The sasles guy said if I was looking for a manual, better jump on it so I did.

I drove a 335 and the 328 - the 335 was much faster, almost too fast - I like having to work for it and believe it or not I don't mind losing at the line every now and then if it makes me learn how to squeak more out of the car.

I'm reminded of an old Twilight Zone episode where Sebastian Cabot plays 'Pip', guardian angel to a criminal who has trouble believing he's made it to heaven. His every wish is granted, and at one point he gets sick of winning all the time and tells Pip that he almost wishes he'd been sent to 'the other place', to which Pip replies, "This IS the other place!"

It's no fun being so far ahead of the game that the challenges, within my daily commute, are lost. Just my opinion.

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We do not inherit the Earth from our parents; we borrow it from our children

For me it came down to price/performance and availability. It was hard to find a nice single owner, clean, gently used convertible at a great price. I am very happy with my 128i. I have enough trouble keeping my foot out of it as it is

I also picked up a gently used (<1400 mls) 2011 128i convertible just recently. No 135's on the lot, but I'm not sure it would have made a difference. It's just a really nice car. Nice low growl. The local max around here is 55mph. And the 1's look just as good going slow as they do going fast.

Mine should be at the dealer any time during this week. Went for the 128i with M Sport Package. Unfortunately, it is an AT as someone else needs to drive it.... The choice was mainly by the price/budget, but also I was not sure about a turbo charged engine on BMW and that is just a personal preference. Now, if it were for "130i" or "133i" or whatever that is a non-turbocharged and higher-performance version of 128i, I would have probably thought about it and tried to justify spending more money on it a lot harder.

When I went shopping for a "gently" used 1-series (few months ago)I knew very little about the differences between the 128i vs 135 and all the different packages and what they meant to the driver. (I'm still learning)
I found and purchased an '08 128i SGM 6MT that was in very good condition with low mileage. Even a set of snows & rims were included in the deal!
I'm very happy with the 128i daily driver and look forwarded to many miles of enjoyment.

I just ordered 128 2 weeks ago deep sea blue with hk sounds 313 rims xenon no m sport though wouldn't let me have high gloss. Mine end price i think cost same as 135is lol but the is would have been naked i chose it for the price i wanted a bmw and the options mainly hk sounds month and a half till it comes !!!

I bought a 128 last Saturday. It's a white, 2011 that only had 7,800 miles on the odometer.

I considered a 135, but I was coming from a full-size pick-up truck, so the 128 seemed more than fast enough for me. Plus, I had trouble finding a 135 that provided all the options I wanted and a warranty within my budget.

I'm in the process of buying a used 135 6MT. Got rid of a 2013 Scion FR-S. Before the Scion I owned three S2000s, RX7s, MR2s, 300ZXs, etc. I chose the 135 over the 128 simply for the power and for the greater standard features (made shopping for a used one easier if I knew certain things were definitely included since it was a 135).

I too am still trying to figure out what some of the various option packages are. Like I know mine doesn't have nav, but it does have the M sport package, a sunroof, and the USB connection... so not sure what packages those are from or if everything but the M sport was standard on the 135.

Only thing that I'm still debating on is adding an extended warranty since the car is already out of the factory warranty.